Bing Geography Facts Quiz – What the Map Doesn't Tell You
The Bing Geography Facts Quiz looks at what the map doesn't tell you, from unusual borders and surprising distances to the real size of Greenland, the lowest point on land, the driest desert and places where the date changes in a single step. Which geographic facts are easy to mix up?
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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
Map myths
On many world maps Greenland looks as big as Africa. How do their real sizes compare?
Lowest point
What is the lowest point on dry land on Earth?
Deserts
Which is the driest non-polar desert in the world, where some stations have rarely recorded rain?
Time
Which ocean contains the International Date Line?
Distances
Which continent is crossed by both the equator and both tropics?
Rivers
Which river carries the most water of any river in the world?
Mountains
Measured from base to peak, which mountain is the tallest on Earth?
Borders
Which country is divided into two separate parts by another country, with Kaliningrad cut off from the rest?
Time zones
How many time zones does China officially use, despite its huge width?
Latitude
Which of these cities lies farther north?
Your score
0/10
Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: On many world maps Greenland looks as big as Africa. How do their real sizes compare?
Answer: Africa is about 14 times larger
The common Mercator map stretches areas near the poles. Africa is actually about 14 times the size of Greenland.
- Q2: What is the lowest point on dry land on Earth?
Answer: The shore of the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea shore is about 430 meters below sea level. Death Valley's lowest point is about 86 meters below sea level.
- Q3: Which is the driest non-polar desert in the world, where some stations have rarely recorded rain?
Answer: The Atacama
The Atacama in Chile is so dry that NASA tests Mars rovers there. Some areas get almost no measurable rain for years.
- Q4: Which ocean contains the International Date Line?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean
Crossing the line west adds a day, and crossing east subtracts one. The line zigzags to avoid splitting countries.
- Q5: Which continent is crossed by both the equator and both tropics?
Answer: Africa
Africa is the only continent that reaches both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn while also crossing the equator. Its climate zones are mirrored north and south.
- Q6: Which river carries the most water of any river in the world?
Answer: The Amazon
The Amazon carries more water than the next several largest rivers combined. Its mouth is so wide that it pushes fresh water far into the Atlantic.
- Q7: Measured from base to peak, which mountain is the tallest on Earth?
Answer: Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea in Hawaii rises more than 10,000 meters from the ocean floor. Mount Everest is the highest above sea level.
- Q8: Which country is divided into two separate parts by another country, with Kaliningrad cut off from the rest?
Answer: Russia
Kaliningrad lies between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. It is not connected to the rest of Russia by land.
- Q9: How many time zones does China officially use, despite its huge width?
Answer: One
All of China uses Beijing time. In the far west, the sun can rise as late as 10 a.m. in winter.
- Q10: Which of these cities lies farther north?
Answer: London
London is about 51 degrees north, much farther north than New York at about 41 degrees. The Gulf Stream keeps Western Europe mild.
Bing Geography Facts Quiz – What the Map Doesn't Tell You
Maps are essential tools, but they can also mislead. Turning a round Earth into a flat picture always distorts something. On the common Mercator map, Greenland looks as big as Africa, when Africa is really about 14 times larger. Facts like these show why geography rewards a closer look.
Extremes are full of surprises. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest point on land, Chile's Atacama is the driest non-polar desert, and Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller than Everest when measured from its base on the ocean floor. The Amazon carries more water than any other river.
Borders and time zones also hold oddities. Russia's Kaliningrad region is separated from the rest of the country, China uses a single time zone across its entire width, and the International Date Line zigzags through the Pacific to keep countries on one side.
Even familiar places can surprise us. London is much farther north than New York, yet its climate is milder thanks to ocean currents. Checking a globe often changes how we see the world.
You have 150 seconds to answer ten questions in the Bing Geography Facts Quiz. Every answer comes with a quick explanation, which makes the quiz a good way to learn as well as to test yourself. It works well on a phone, and it is also fun to play aloud with friends or family, taking turns to answer. The score is just for fun, so there is no pressure. If a question surprises you, read the explanation and try a related quiz afterward to build on what you learned.
Play the quiz and find out which geography facts you might have been mixing up.
What This Quiz Teaches
- Map distortion
- The lowest and highest places
- Deserts and rivers
- Unusual borders
- Time zones and the Date Line
- Latitude surprises
Quick Facts
- Earth is slightly wider at the equator than at the poles.
- About 71 percent of Earth's surface is water.
- Russia spans 11 time zones.
- Antarctica is the highest continent on average.
- Lake Baikal is the deepest lake.
- Canada has the longest coastline.
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